Fenton Friday: Finally Tomatoes!

This past week saw another 100+ degree day, a couple perfectly gorgeous days of low humidity, and another heavy rain. Not complaining about the rain (better than the alternative!), but it is causing the tomatoes to crack from the excess moisture. The tomatoes have already had it extra tough this season as their pollinating and ripening pretty much slowed to a crawl in all the record heat. The photo of this week's harvest at left also includes one tomatillo along with the tomatoes knocked from the vines by recent storms.

Amana Orange heirloom tomato

One tomato plant I have, the sweet "AMANA ORANGE" beefsteak heirloom tomato took quite a beating from the Derecho storms which broke many of its branches off, but it is producing very well this week -- 4 tomatoes over a pound each (I used my postal scale to weigh them). I did not pick them as they ripened last week as I was waiting for the color to deepen. I got the plant at a swap this spring and the name got lost so I had no idea pale orange WAS the actual final ripe stage. I now have the ID and know now what "ripe" looks like. I have to say it is sweet and very juicy. I hope I have enough of it by August 25 to make it an entry in our annual Tomato Taste challenge.

Not pictured, pulling lots of carrots and last of the lettuce.

UPDATE: the heirloom tomato above could be "Azoychka" and not Amana according to the lady who shared the seedling plant with me.